This is exciting Steve. I have done a bunch of research on their carts, since you originally posted about yours.

I will anxiously wait for developments.

If you are unfamiliar with these legendary cartridges, they are still completely un-copied in the cartridge world so far as I know.  What makes it unique is that there are 3 coils instead of 4 and the cantilever is special.  It is not made from ruby or any other exotic material that makes hi-end cartridges so expensive, Instead it has eliminated the cantilever from the design altogether as well as the rubber boot that damps out much of the vibration coming up the cantilever.  

 



click to enlarge





Here is how it works...

Wow. This is cool news!

So you are replacing a 'budget' arm ( FR or AC ) with a $5k +++ ( I'm guessing / could not find retail price on gold 12" arm ) tonearm ??

Analog Warrior you are ! Just the thought alone of setting that Moerch arm up sends me into " need a nap mode " lol

Yes, when I looked into the tonearm box there was a certain amount of dread... but then I saw that the instructions were very complete and very well written, leaving nothing out and it gave me hope. Once I actually began putting it together I was astounded how painless it actually was. Beyond that I was blown away by the quality and the engineering behind it, which all becomes clear as you are setting it up. It makes the Mayware formula 4 seem like a toy.  It has so far been easier to properly set up and use than the Audiocraft. On this particular arm, you can adjust the VTA and the anti-skate while you listen : ). That right there has been two of my biggest fantasies when it comes to tonearms.  






See those side weights with the offset holes?  If the weights are situated so that the center of gravity is above the shaft it improves the sound stage. I tried it, it works.  

Azimuth can be adjusted internally and independently of the weights so you don't have to rock the arm one way or the other like you do on other uni-pivots.

I used to think I had a pretty good intuition for physics but the gentleman who designed this is WAY beyond anything I could have come up with. When you study this design for any length of time it becomes obvious that a genius made it. Then when you hear it, it becomes obvious that these subtle but ingenious things and the execution actually have a very profound way of affecting the sound.

Look, the Decca London Reference cartridge is better than anything that the company has ever made and we want to hear it without any handicaps.  The sound of this cartridge is well worth the trouble.

Steve

Hello friends,
I'm happy to be here. Over a period of time I'll address our relationship with our friends at Moerch Tonearms and other surprises we have in store for the Decware Community.

Box label has the 12" box checked. I'm pretty sure the arm tubes are interchangeable if its a stock DP8.

Could be a special treat for all of those who attend Decfest

Actually you will all hear it at this years Decfest.  

So as I continue to listen,  I can't believe the cutting lathes are this good.  Seriously.  

The cartridge is low output...  I have it running through a moving magnet step up transformer for 6dB of free gain and 6 hits of acid for what it does to the soundstage...  and even after that it is still just shy in output level of the vintage Decca that I also used the same transformer with so I get to turn the Sarah 300B amp all the way up to play at an appropriately loud level for the music at hand...  And that takes the volume pots completely out of the signal path and lets the input stage fully express itself.  Another holy crap moment.  

The new holy grail, Decca London Reference, ZMM, ZP3, SARAH300B fully cranked on 100dB speakers...  Listening level where I sat A weighted was 92.5 DB average.

Just hard to wrap my head around because this is in master tape territory and beyond due to the magic of cartridges and LP's.  I think it's Gods way of showing off.  Should be impossible to get anything close to good sound dragging a needle through a groove... it's so physical...

" Should be impossible to get anything close to good sound dragging a needle through a groove... it's so physical..."

Hee Hee Hee!

As the burn-in progresses I am noticing things are becoming even more articulate.  So far I have thrown about 20 albums at it and it has tracked everything with perfection.  I am finding the adjustable VTA is a valuable tool since record thickness varies and sometimes depending on how a record was cut, I like to run a steeper rake angle to excavate the highs and on other pressings a touch less to mellow everything out.  This could always be done with the other tone arms manually but never with this precision and never on the fly, so basically worthless because you're not going to manually adjust it for every record.

The adjustable anti-skate is great as well.  You can hear when you get it in the pocket.  This cartridge and the vintage one, both do not like much anti-skate. So this is something that will rarely get adjusted once you find the magic setting. However, some of the more aggressive 45 RPM pressings that are hugely dynamic will affect the side force and probably require a small tweak to the anti-skate.  That is not to say it is required, no... it is to say that for those hunting for the last 2% this is an easy adjustment to find it.

I was told 50 hours minimum, so I will wait until then and then make some videos of this ass kicking combo.  





Just an observation,  DECCA made some of the best sounding LP's ever pressed.  At the same time they made a cartridge using a bold and still never copied technology.  My guess is it has been tried by other cartridge manufactures but found too difficult to be highly profitable.

Tonight I got out a worthy reference, the most dynamic and layered LP I probably own, a 45RPM pressing of Flim & the BB's Tricycle.





This DECCA London Reference (2024) cartridge balanced the experience in a new way and as a result I heard the most amazing depth I have ever heard, and certainly had no idea it was on this record.  Yes, knew it was good, reference good, but...    now I am again stunned at the level of detail and sound stage insanity, the depth, the depth, the decay, the depth....

Holy crap batman, this cartridge may have low output but -- you can see how the pyramids were built while you listen to music.  It's just insane.

This arm and this cartridge are beginning to come across as the master of balance, in every dimension.  A transducer that focuses energy directly into the mind which expands it/ multiplies its perception abilities to where you are hearing so deep that it starts to transcend the human experience.

Not a near death experience, an out of body experience.  Where you become the music. This is the perfect ZEN cartridge/arm combo so far... it is Yin and Yang that results in a very un-indoctrinated and unbiased presentation of whatever is actually there.  It is a bridge to higher consciousness and higher perception.

Honestly, this is the absolute reference cartridge and tonearm ever to come from Decca, think about that...  and frankly for the 6 figure price I was completely ready to rip it to shreds, being a point of diminishing returns kinda guy, but damn...  I honestly think it is worth selling the boat for.  I really do.  Way more ROI with this.  WAY MORE.  







You can think of it like a microscope showing you the macro detail of the music and more importantly the room and the space it was created in, as they all become intertwined.









This (above)  is what I heard before...

This (below) is what I hear now...




No wait a minute... my mind didn't have the neurons to process it...  give it a minute...  there.  That's it.  This is what I am hearing now...







See, you can clearly and without fantasy see the shape of the diamond. It is effortless. Before it was impossible. Now in fairness, this is not possible without DECWARE caliber gear.  I know it cheapens the post but, seriously it is true.  You would never NEVER hear the last image with any lessor gear... I can promise you that. It's not ego, it's physics. It's old school. If you think a 72 monte carlo is old school, the pyramids are old school. They did shit that modern humans can't even imagine which is why they are still a mystery and will remain so for quite some time.

It is about how deep can you hear into the recording. It really is all about that. With the complete absence of artifacts like grain and dryness it is possible to listen for many hours in a trance like state and morph yourself into a state of bliss that can only happen in the human experience on this and nearly identical planets. It is frikin special. It is NOT experienced through a plastic boom box unless your mind can transcend the limitation and find a memory of the hires experience to draw upon.

Sorry to get so deep but this shit IS deep. It is powerful. It goes against all the things that are negative in this world. Music is GOD and I don't want to experience it with a veil, smear, distortion, or separation from the truth. It is a reflection of ourselves in the human experience that is universally priceless and believe it or not by some miracle it is able to be stored and released across time in the form of 'recording and playback'.  


You know when it triggers a philosophical diatribe like this it must sound pretty f'in good.



-Steve

Quote:


Might as well shed light on this.

What is the price of the new cartridge? What is the price of the tonearm?

Will Decware have some of these in stock, for sale?

Thanks,

Geno

So far as I know these are both 4 digit items similar in price to our larger amplifiers, not 6 digit.  If someone sent me a 6 digit cartridge or arm I would have returned it unopened.

Steve

OK, fair enough.  Getting old is so much fun ; ).  I meant to say 'figure'

Quote:

Hello Decware Enthusiast,

London Decca Pricing

London Reference
$6,495.00

London Super Gold
$2,895.00

Each cartridge is hand-built with all parts being hand selected and tested.
We do have a build list and require a 50% deposit.

For more information contact us at business@londondecca.com

Cheers,

Stewart

Hello From London Decca,

Tonearm pricing...

Moerch DP 8
Gold $6,850.00
Chrome $5,895.00
Black $6,250.00

London Decca/Moerch

UP 6 Uni-Pivot Tonearm
Gold $3,595.00
Chrome $3,250.00

Contact Information
business@londondecca.com

Hello Steve,

I'm so happy you are enjoying the Reference and DP8 arm. I promise it will get better after the 50 hours. Oh by the way...Have a beer on me for the first 50...

Cheers,

Stewart
London Decca

I will be dialing-in the custom for DECCA UP6 tonearm soon.  This is an affordable alternative to the UP8 that I have been using.  I have listened to it loosely calibrated already and suspect that many would not have the room or speaker setup to notice a difference.  We could hear it in my room but even then it wasn't overwhelming so I suspect this is going to be a very popular arm for the new DECCA cartridges.

Steve

Here is a video I made of the UP6 arm...

https://youtu.be/JMLVEvvKlpI?si=VplL7RrFZEc8MkjL

Contact Information

London Decca Cartridges are sold direct.

Contact us at business@londondecca.com
We have found that there is an unbelievable synergy between the Decware product line and the sound of the Decca cartridge.

Feel free to contact us for information or sales.

Please make sure that you mention that you are a Decware owner. We are here to support you in any way we can.

Cheers,

London Decca Team

A sneak peak at a current production London Decca "Maroon" phono cartridge!